Improvement in sheet-metal-can forming machines



W. GREEN. SHEET-METAL CAN FORMING-MACHINE.

No. 173,120. Patented Feh.8,1876.

UN E S ATES PATENT QFFICE.

WILLIAM GREEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPRQVEMENT m SHEET-METAL-CAN FORMING MACHINES;

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. P73, [20, dated February 8, 1876; application filed August 30, 1875. v

' Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying'drawing, forming part of this specification, in which I Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section of a can-forming machine embodying my said invention. Fig. 2 is a top view of a portion of the same, showing the position of the forming-dies when opened to receive the blank. Figs. 3 and 4 are detached sections of the forming-dies. Fig. 5 is a diminishedview of the end of a can when formed, showingthe flanges at the top or bottom of the can-body. Fig. 6

is a transverse section of the forming-dies,

taken on the line 5000, drawn across Fig.2, showing the position of the dies when folded.

' Fig. 7 is a modified form of diesused in forming cans having roundcorners.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in the several figures of the drawing.

My invention relates to that class of masupport the edges of the top and bottom of the can when soldered in place. To that end it consists in the several parts, as will be more fully understood by the following description and. claims.

In the drawing, A represents the frame-work I for supporting the operating parts ofthe, ma-

,chine. B is the forming-block, which is mount- 'ed on a horizontal arm, 0, pivoted to a vertical upright,.0, permanently attached to the bed A of the frame. This arm is loosely secured between vertical guides or ways D D, and is so arranged as to admit of a free and easy tilting movement. E is the treadle, hinged at its rear end to the frame A, and attached,

near its forward end, to the'arln G by a connecting-rod, d, as shown in Fig. 1. F is a coiled spring, located between the guides or ways D ,D under arm-(J, between it and the bed'A.

The adjustment of this spring is such as to yield and allow the arm todescend when pow.- I

er is applied to the treadle, and to force the arm upward to'its normal position when power is removed from the treadle. TheformingblockB is made in any desired shape approximatin g theshape of the can-body to be-formed.

GG and H Hare the forming-dies, which are hinged one to the other, and are permanently attached to bed A in such a manner asto admit of being clamped or folded around the formin g-block when the latter is depressed, as

shown'in Fig. 6. The outer edge of die-block H is rabbeted on its face, forming a groove, 0, so as to fit the face'of lip d when thedieblocks are folded around the. forming-block,

the object of which is to bend'the edge of the blank to receive the. opposite edge, forming the seam. Permanently attached to the outer edge of die-block G is a lip, d, arranged at a right' angle to the face of the block,-and adapted to lap over the corner of the formingon an angle of forty-live degrees to the plane I of the face, so that when-the die-blocks are clamped around the forming-block the ends of the gage-blocks miter together, as shown in Fig. 6. The ends of the rabbeted edge of the gage-blocks on the die-blocks G G are .beveled inward toward the center at an angle of about forty-five degrees to the plane of the face and ed ge, as shown-in Fig. 2. The length of the gage-blocks proper on the die-blocks H and H is slightly less than the gross width: of their respective die-blocks, and the gross length of the rabbeted edge is equal to the width of the block, as shown at e 0, Fig. 2, and are chamfered or beveled at each end toward the bevel on the end of the gage-block proper at an angle of about forty-five degrees, as shown at h h, Fig. 2, so that when the die-blocks are clamped around the forming-block the ends of the rabbeted edges of the gage-blocks miter together. The object of beveling the ends of the rabbeted edges of the gage-blocks, as described, is to insure room for the surplus metal at thecorners of the can, produced by thebending of the flanges at the top and bottom of the can-body, and at the same time compress the surplus metal together, so as to fold it in line nearly parallel with the corners of the can-body, thus enabling it to be easily lapped over and hammered down without breaking. K, K, and L are handles permanently attached .to the die-blocks G, G, andH, for operating the same.

The operation of my invention is as follows The blank from which the can-body is to be formed is first cut in proper shape and of the proper size. The die-blocks being opened so as to be in one and the same plane, as shown in Fig. 2,and the blank placed upon them, allowing its edges to rest within the grooves ff, power is then applied to the treadle, imparting a downward movement to the forming-block,

time bending the edges of the blank restingin'the grooves over the end of the formingblock. Die-blocks G and H are then folded around the forming-block, impinging the blank against the sides of the forming-block, and bending the edges resting within the grooves of the respective gage-blocks over the ends of the forming-block, and at the same time compressing the surplus metal at the corners of the flanges between the beveled ends of the rabbeted edge of the gage-blocks, folding the surplus metal in the form as shown in Fig. 5. The can-body is then removed from the machine, and the surplus metalat the corners bent downward upon the flange, and the top and bottom inserted and soldered to the flanges. In manufacturing cans having round corners the corners of the forming-block are made round, and the die-blocks concaved to fit them, as shown in Fig. 7.

I am aware that hinged lips have been used for making the final fold in cans; also, gageblocks with beveled corner-folders with stationary die-blocks, and I do not, broadly, claim such devices; but

Having thus described my invention, I claimp 1. In combination with the forming block B, the hinged die-blocks G G and H H, dieblock G provided with fixed lip d, adapted to bend the edge of the blank over'the corner of the forming-block, whereby the seam is formed at the corner of the canbody, as Specified.

2. In oombinationwith the hinged die-blocks, the gage-blocks J J, rabbeted to receive the edges of the blank, and adapted to bend the same against the end of the forming-block, forming the flanges at the top and bottom of the can-body, as specified.

3. The forming-block B, hinged die-blocks G G and H H, and lip d, in combination with the gage-blocks J J, beveled at the ends, all constructed as and for the purpose set forth.

, WILLIAM GREEN.

Witnesses:

J. T. WHIPPLE,

JULIUS WELKE. 

